Apparatus for electro-osmotic processes.



H. ILLIG & B. SCHWERIN.

- APPARATUS PoR ELECTRO osMoTIc PROCESSES. y

APPLICATION IILBD FEB. 26, 1914.

Pateted 1v1Ar.3o,1915.4

Figi

.MINI

l II II UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.

HANS ILLIG AND BOT'HO SCHWERIN, OF FRANKFORT-ON-THE-MAIN, GERMANY,

ASSIGNORS TO GESELLSCHAFT ELEKTRO-OSMOSE M. B. H., OF FRANKFORT- ON-THE-MAIN, GERMANY, A CORPORATION.

APPARATUS FOR ELECTRO-OSMOTIC PROCESSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 3o, 1915.

Application led Februar;7 26, 1914. Serial N o. 821,273.

T0 all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that we, HANS ILLIG and BoTHo SCHWERIN, subjects of the German Emperor, and residing at Frankfort-on-the- Main, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Electro-Osmotic Processes, of which the following is a specification.

For separating finely divided substances from suspensions there can be used the electro-oslnostic process in which the disperse phase is brought about wholly or in part by migration toward an electrode and is deposited thereon. A device serving for this purpose is known as an osmose machine. In this machine an anode, preferably of cylindrical form, is surrounded by a perforated cathode through which the suspension is forced toward the anode. The eHect can be enhanced by addition of a suitable electrolyte. In this manner the colloidal particles of the suspension which are of one sign deposit in a layer, which is more or less solid according to the conditions, upon the anode and can be mechanically removed therefrom, while indifferent and oppositely charged constituents remain behind.

Accord-ing to the present invention 4,the electro osmotic process may be enhanced considerably in eiciency by `giving the suspension an opportunity, when it is flowing toward the anode, to Wash against a cathode surface as large as possible in comparison with the anode surface, so that the suspension is subjected to the cathode action on a path as long as possible and a strong fractionation is produced. This object can be achieved in several manners. For example, the cathode may be given the form of a ribbed or laminated body or the like; in either case the suspension current is resolved into several streams limited by the cathode surfaces.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying the invention, the casing for housing the apparatus being in section, Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of a machine of this type showing two sets of blades for agitating the material, and having the anode and cathode in elevation, Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the cathode used in the present invention, and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of one end of the cathode.

A cathode formed of laminae is shown in the accompanying drawings. 1 is the preferably cylindrical rotating anode which is fed with electric current through lead 2. 3 is the cathode with its lead 4. The cathode is shown again in side elevation in Fig. 2 which is a section through Fig. 1 and is indicated together with its side rings by 5. As seen from Fig. 3 the cathode consists of several laminae 6 which are threaded on bolts 7 Y (see Fig. 4) in such a manner that they form narrow chambers directed toward the anode having as their walls the metal laminae. It is to be noted that the working surface of the cathode is that which is presented to the suspended mass on its way to the anode. Through these chambers the suspension is guided toward the anode. Advantageously the passage of the suspension through the cathode toward the anode is aided by revolving blades indicated by 8 in Figs. 1 and 2. The direction of rotation of the blades is shown by the curved arrows and the direction of flow of the suspension by the arrows directed toward the anode.

The whole apparatus is housed in a casing 9 supported on legs 10 the upper parts of which carry bearings 11 to receive shaft 12 upon which is mounted anode 1. The cathode supports 13 are secured to the casing 9, while the blades 8 are mounted upon shaft 14. The shafts maybe rotated by any mechanism not shown. The fresh material may be brought into the casing 9 by the pipe 15 and the impoverished material may flow ofi' through pipe 16, although this is not the only means which may be employed to set up a circulation through the casing. This action is strengthened by the .comparatively long time during which the substance is in the neighborhood of the highly active cathode surface. By the rapid passage of the solid phase toward the anode there is produced at the cathode, and between this and the anode, alayer comparatively rich in water, which on account of the enhanced migration of the acid residues which are present (in the working up of clay and kaolin for example, carbonio acid, sulfuric acid or the like) toward the anode, contains alkali in excess. This, however, is an advantageous electrolyte for working up the substances in question by electric osmose, which accelerates the osmosis and increases the degree of dryness of the separated substances. Moreover, to these advantageous effects there are added in most cases the improvement that owing to the purely geometrical enlargement of the cathode surface, the current density at the anode is relatively increased, which is advantageous particularly in the osmotic treatment of clay.

What we claim is:

1. An apparatus for electro-osmotic processes having a suspension container and a suspension agitating means, which comprises an anode and a cathode locked between the anode and the agitating means, the cathode being provided with openings of much greater length than width.

2. An apparatus for electro-osmotic processes having a suspension container and a suspension agitating means, which comprises a cylindrical anode and a cathode locked between the anode and the agitating means, said cathode being formed of laminae assembled to dene openings of much greater length than width through which the suspension passes when directed toward the anode by the agitating means.

3. An apparatus for electro-osmotic processes having suspension container and an agitating means, which comprises an anode, rods extending parallel to the anode, comparatively wide laminae mounted upon the rods to form a cathode and defining therebetween spaces of considerably greater.

length than width, said lamina: being substantially in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the anode and locked between the agitating means and said anode. l

4. YAn apparatus-for electro-osmotic processes having a suspension container and an agitatin means, which comprises an anode, rods su stantiallyl parallel to the anode, laminae of greater -length than thickness assembled on the rods to form a cathode provided with slots of greater length and widththan thickness, said cathode being- HANS ILLI'G. f BOTHO SCHWERIN.

Witnesses:v y

.JEAN GRUND, CARL GRUND. 

